Additive and subtractive processes for manufacturing disk drive head suspension components such as flexures and load beams are known. During these processes the suspension components are supported on a panel between strips of metal known as carrier strips. Relatively small strips of metal known as tabs connect the components to the carrier strips and to one another during the manufacturing process. During subsequent assembly processes the tabs are cut or otherwise severed to “detab” the components from the carrier strips. Fine metal particles can be produced during these detabbing processes and adhere to the suspensions. Although the suspensions are typically cleaned before being incorporated into disk drives, the cleaning processes are not always successful at removing all the particles. Unfortunately, the particles not removed during the cleaning processes can still come loose in the disk drives and interfere with the drive operation. There remains, therefore, a need for improvements that reduce or prevent the adverse consequences that can result from metal particles produced during detabbing operations.